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Automobile Writes How RWD Sedans Like Cadillac CTS VSport Can Be Useful In Michigan Snow

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Rear-wheel drive has had quite the stigma attached to it these days. Tell a stranger your car is rear-wheel drive and they gasp like you just keyed their car in front of them. When the snow falls, front-wheel drive is undoubtedly better, with all-wheel drive reining supreme.

So how does Automobile’srear-wheel drive Cadillac CTS Vsport handle as a snow trapped rescue vehicle? That’s just what this entry into the 12 Month Car Diary aims to see.

The long-term-loan CTS Vsport comes equipped with sticky Pirelli Sottozero, a great tire for dry warm pavement, but not your best friend in cold un-plowed roads. During the Vsport’s jaunt as a rescue vehicle, and by rescue we mean Christopher Nelson’s wife got stuck in a snowbank and he was tasked with digging the car out, the rear-wheel drive shows its weaknesses, but not as badly as you’d expect.

After really getting stuck in the slush and snow, Nelson knows there’s only one thing to do: spin those rear tires to melt the ice and find traction. It just so happens the lovely twin-turbo V6 makes great noises while it bounces off the redline, so really, it’s not the worst thing to happen. Not to mention the heated steering wheel to warm chilled bones and restore feeling to numb fingers.

So, we learn the CTS Vsport is a pretty decent rescue vehicle, and with a little finesse and skill, rear-wheel drive sedans can hang in the snow despite their preconceived notion. And they’re also great for tossing around a roundabout when lack of traffic permits.

Good drivers can go a long way in the snow with RWD, within reasonable snow depth, tire tread, and incline. Most people aren’t good driver’s though, and fishtail or spin with RWD in slippery conditions. TC and ESP was invented for those drivers.

FNG here.
I’ve heard and participated in this debate for decades.
“spin those rear tires to melt the ice and find traction” is something I’ve never done and never will. The heat melts snow which turns to ice which has even poorer traction.

RWD can be more fun if you like hanging it out. Winter tires are a good answer but RWD still has serious limitations.

I’ll take FWD any day. I’ve had both over the years, recently traded a RWD for FWD. FWD overall is more stable and user-friendly.

AWD/4WD seems to be the most reliable for landing the overconfident driver in the ditch. And as the famous Anonymous Poet once said, “AWD is for sissies!”